More Pressure Confirmed for James Franklin & Penn State After FOX Analyst’s Concerning Take

“James Franklin has built a consistent winner at Penn State. But when it comes to the toughest opponents, the man known as ‘Big Game James’.” That blunt judgment from the WSJ sears like a scar—and it’s ultimately become James Franklin‘s second identity. Now, no Penn State fan would love this, but they can’t even ignore the fact that James Franklin, despite having all the weapons at his disposal, still keeps coming short…. The resume feels more like a ‘near miss’ highlight reel, and even though James Franklin and Co. started off with a 46-11 banger, the ‘Big Game James’ narrative lingers.

“Penn State’s had a really hard time beating teams that they match up with… not Michigan when they were elite… lost to Oregon, lost to Ohio State, lost to Notre Dame… Where does that leave Penn State?” Joel Klatt pointed out on his show. In a conference fueled by Ohio State and Michigan, Franklin’s Nittany Lions still look like chalk late-game fadeouts. And even though AP put the squad in the 2nd spot on their poll, it still feels like some fans and analysts aren’t willing to let go of their skepticism. But there is some good news. The Nittany Lions aren’t staring down oblivion…. at least not yet.

Drew Allar back in the QB position with RB duo Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, and a rock-solid O-line—all of it pointing towards an offense that knows what they are doing. We know that the Nevada game isn’t a big benchmark, but Franklin and Co. had total domination throughout the quarters. This proves that the returning stars still have fuel left in their engine.

And how can we forget the defensive game? With a $3+ million tug, Franklin managed to secure the man who made Ohio State’s D-line scary, i.e, Jim Knowles. With his playbook in the game and the already great potential of Amare Campbell (the tackle magnet from UNC), freshman Chaz Coleman (or what Franklin calls him—the Chaz-manian Devil), and a secondary with Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, this team finally looks complete.

All the pieces of the puzzle are right there. So can Franklin, for once, win a big game? Or will the Ducks and the Bucks bully the Lions once again?

Dan Lanning and Ryan Day await

Some might call the Oregon vs PSU game a close call, but only the ones present at the sidelines would know that Franklin was “this close” to actually winning it. The whole 4-quarter ride was a bloodbath. Franklin had almost had it, but once again, the curse activated, and Dan Lanning took home the W with a 45-37 win.

But all of this was in the past…. There is no Dillion Gabrial anymore, but that won’t matter much. From what we saw at the Ducks’ season opener, QB Dante Moore is doing quite freaking well. And you also can’t forget the nasty edge in Matayo Uiagalelei’s pass-rush. But the question is… Who comes out of Beaver Stadium alive?

And then there’s the dreaded OSU game. Well, you can take Ryan Day‘s defensive mastermind, but can you handle the fire Jeremiah Smith brings in? Despite having to rely on a new QB (Julian Sayin), that Texas game proved one thing: there is a reason why Ohio State won the natty.

They didn’t just bully Sark, they showed everyone that even without Knowles, Day and Co. are just fine. So here is the final plot line: Either Franklin and Co. roar it out and slug it with the best Big 10 has to offer, or Oregon and Ohio State expose them as playoff pretenders.